Srinagar, February 17 (KNO) : The Jammu and Kashmir government today issued orders to withdraw security and other government facilities of five separatists, including chairman Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. Besides Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the security cover for Abdul Gani Bhat, Bilal Lone, Hashim Qureshi and Shabir Shah has been withdrawn, they said.
According to the order a copy of which is with the KNO, all security and vehicles provided to the separatists will stand withdrawn by this evening. No security forces or cover will be provided, under any pretext, to them or any other separatists. “If they have any other facilities provided by the government, they are to be withdrawn forthwith,” the order issued by the J&K government reads. It reads that police will review if there are any other separatists who have security or facilities which will be withdrawn immediately.
Over 40 CRPF soldiers were killed in the deadliest Fidayeen attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama while dozens of CRPF men were injured. The attack was carried out by a Jaish-Muhammad suicide bomber Adil Ahmed Dar. Home Minister Rajnath Singh, during his visit to Srinagar on Friday, had said security given to people getting funds from Pakistan and its spy agency ISI should be reviewed.
"Some elements in Jammu and Kashmir have links with the ISI and terrorist organisations. Their security should be reviewed," he had said after reviewing security in the aftermath of deadliest attack in South Kashmir's Pulwama district.
Over 40 CRPF personnel were killed and five injured on Thursday in one of the deadliest terror strikes in Jammu and Kashmir when a Jaish-e-Mohammed suicide bomber blew up an explosive-laden vehicle near their bus in Pulwama district. The bus was part of a convoy of 78 vehicles carrying CRPF personnel from Jammu to Srinagar.
The Hurriyat Conference (M), according to the KNO, while reacting to the security roll-out of the separatists said that they had never asked for the security cover. “It was the government’s decision to provide the security to the separatists and its today, their decision to remove it. It is a non-issue for us.”
Meanwhile, Democratic Freedom Party of Shabir Shah stated that the party chief is languishing in Tihar jail since past 18 months and that he was never provided with the security cover. The security withdrawal move also triggered a heated debate on the Twitter with many netizens asking BJP general secretary Ram Madhav as to why the security of Syed Ali Geelani and Muhammad Yasin Malik was still intact. In reply to the multiple tweets, Madhav wrote: “Geelani and Malik were not having any security cover and Geelani was under house arrest.”(KNO)